London Conveyancing – offices in in Ealing, Brentford, London Belgravia and Richmond.
With London conveyancing transactions, you need to be sure that your conveyancer knows what they’re doing because the London property market is complex. With thousands upon thousands of new and old buildings cramped into a relatively small space in a City impacted by a myriad of historical laws and regulations, you ideally need conveyancing solicitors in London. Conveyancing solicitors who know and understand the territory. With a conveyancing solicitor based outside of London, you risk wasting valuable time and money, as well as missing out on a potential purchase or sale.
Stark Uberoi, Conveyancing Solicitors London
Our conveyancing solicitors in London have extensive experience in handling a wide variety of complex conveyancing matters that are commonplace in and around London. Read on to find out how we handle the more complex London conveyancing matters.
Buying or selling unregistered property
Unregistered property is common in the London property market. With a registered property, much of the information a conveyancer needs is generally held at the Land Registry, but this isn’t the case with an unregistered property. Proving ownership can be tough (even more so if you don’t have the property’s title deeds) but our London conveyancing solicitors can help.
As per the Land Registration Act 2002 (the updated Land Registration Act 1925), all property must now be registered. Therefore, a property must be registered before it can legally be sold from one person to another. Our London conveyancing solicitors explain everything you need to know in our blog post here: How do I sell an Unregistered Property?
Splitting Your Property’s Title
Splitting a larger property into multiple dwellings is commonplace in London where demand for property is so high. Whether you want to split your property into flats or sell part of your garden, there’s almost definitely going to be a lot to consider before you get started. You will need to ensure that you have the proper planning permission should you need to alter part of the property, plus you will usually need your mortgage lender’s permission before you can change your property’s title.
If you’re splitting a larger property into several self-contained flats, you will also likely need to remortgage onto a buy to let. For this, you will also need a London based remortgage solicitor to handle the transaction – you can get a free online remortgage conveyancing quote using our online conveyancing quote generator on our website.
Our conveyancing solicitors in London are knowledgeable in this area and can assist with the title split of your property.
Airspace Conveyancing and Development
This is an area that our conveyancing solicitors in London are becoming very familiar with. The lack of space in London makes this an obvious solution for those wishing to extend. Thanks to the new legislation, extending property upwards is set to become even more popular, as could selling and purchasing the airspace above others’ property. Although airspace conveyancing is not new in Europe and in the USA, it is set to become popular in the UK and many solicitors are likely unfamiliar with the legal requirements.
Typically, the most important thing to consider will be the leaseholders, as their leases may grant them access to or even ownership of the rooftop. Our London conveyancing solicitors can assist with the purchase or sale of airspace legal factors including right of first refusal and creating a deed of variation of the lease if necessary. Read our blog post on extending properties upwards into airspace to find out more.
Collective Enfranchisement
Leasehold property is extremely common in London. If you are an eligible leaseholder, you may be entitled to force your freeholder to allow you, and fellow eligible freeholders, to buy the freehold through a procedure known as Collective Enfranchisement. There are many benefits of owning a share of the freehold, such as having more influence over the maintenance of the property, no longer needing to pay ground rent and having more room to negotiate a cheap lease extension.
After checking that at least half of your building’s eligible lessees are willing to purchase the freehold with you, you will need to elect a “nominee purchaser,” organise a valuation of the freeholder and serve a tenants’ notice onto your landlord. Our leasehold solicitors in London can advise on this process, including how to serve the correct notice and negotiating the cost of the premium with your freeholder.
Read our blog post on Buying the Freehold through Collective Enfranchisement.
Purchasing an Unmortgageable Property
London is rife with unmortgageable properties but unmortgageable doesn’t necessarily mean undesirable; perhaps you’re looking for a cheap, derelict property to transform into your dream home, or your ideal flat has a lease of less than sixty years remaining on it. What you will need to do in order to purchase the property will likely depend on the reason it is unmortgageable – for example, you may need a bridging loan if you want to restore a derelict property, or Assign the Benefit of a Section 42 Notice if the property has a short lease.
Whatever the reason is, our expert conveyancing solicitors, who have an in depth knowledge of the London property market will be able to offer legal advice and assistance. We have extensive experience in handling the purchase and sale of unmortgageable property, so you don’t have to give up on a property you love. We discuss the reasons why a property might be unmortgageable – and what you can do – in our blog post on Purchasing an Unmortgageable Property.
Bridging Loan Conveyancing
A bridging loan can be a fantastic way to borrow money for a short period of time before you can obtain a regular mortgage on your property. They are flexible, usually approved quickly, and always come with an exit plan so that you always know exactly how you’re going to repay the loan. They are a popular choice among those who want to buy a derelict property and restore it before obtaining a mortgage.
Having a fast conveyancing solicitor in London is essential when applying for a bridging loan to make sure you don’t miss out on the sale. Our efficient bridging loan solicitors can help – see our blog post on bridging loan conveyancing here.
Buy to let conveyancing
Renting out a property can be a fantastic way to earn an income particularly in London, but there is a lot that needs to be taken into consideration before you decide to do so. You will likely need to remortgage onto a buy to let deal, you will need to consider whether or not your property is likely to make much rental income and understand your legal landlord responsibilities. Furthermore, there may be more legal matters you could require assistance with associated with renting out property – for example, when splitting property into flats, you need to ensure you have the correct planning permission and that your proposed new properties adhere to mortgage lender requirements.
Please read our blog on buy to let conveyancing for more information on how our conveyancing solicitors in London can assist you.
Limited Company Conveyancing
There are many circumstances in which purchasing buy to let property as a limited company rather than as an individual is advantageous; you can access more mortgage products and expand your property portfolio in a tax-efficient manner.
Our limited company conveyancing solicitors can help you with your limited company conveyancing as well as provide expert advice on managing your buy to let portfolio. Read more in our blog on Buy to Let Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) Limited Company Conveyancing.
HMO Conveyancing
A House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) can be a fantastic rental investment. In an HMO, each tenant rents one private bedroom and shares communal spaces with other tenants. They are a popular choice among renters in London due to the demand for affordable accommodation, and a popular choice among landlords as they provide reliable rental income even if one room is untenanted for a while.
Depending on the size of the HMO (and your local area’s requirements) you may need an HMO licence. You will also be responsible for ensuring your property satisfies the requirements for an HMO, which may also differ depending your local area but usually include:
- The property must be properly equipped for the number of inhabitants – for example, does the property have enough bathrooms to adequately provide for its occupants?
- You, as the freeholder, must not have a criminal record or any history of breaching landlord laws.
- Smoke alarms must be installed and frequently checked
- You, as the freeholder, must annually send an up-to-date gas safety certificate to your local council.
This is not an exhaustive list and it is essential to ensure you meet the proper requirements before accepting tenants. You could face an unlimited fine or prosecution if your property is unlicenced – read our blog on House in Multiple Occupation conveyancing for everything you need to know.
When purchasing a property with the intention of converting it into an HMO or buying an existing HMO property you need conveyancing solicitor that understands this type of purchase and the wider legal implications. Our London based conveyancing solicitors can help.
Gifting property to your children
As well as wanting to pass on a property you love to your children, you may be considering gifting a property for tax-efficiency purposes. This is particularly popular in London because the high value of property can result in hefty inheritance tax bills when the property is passed to one generation from another. Gifting Property to your children could be a win-win decision for yourself and your children, but it is essential it is done properly. You could end up accidentally gifting your children a Gift with Reservation of Benefit, or end up paying high care home costs as a result.
Our conveyancing solicitors will be able to advise on the legal implications of gifting property to your loved ones or transferring equity to them instead. Whatever you choose to do, our conveyancing solicitors can ensure the transfer is completed as efficiently as possible.
Buying a property with a short lease
If your perfect London based property has a short lease, you can still purchase it with a mortgage. By having the seller assign the benefit of a Section 42 Notice, they can start the lease extension process while the transaction is in progress, and allow you to finish extending the lease before completion. This can eliminate the problem posed by a short lease for your lender.
To find out more about this process, visit our blogs on Buying a Flat with a Short Lease and Assigning the Benefit of a Section 42 Notice.
Deed of Variation of Lease
Should you wish to vary the terms stated in your lease, there is no need to go about creating and assigning an entirely new lease. You can instead draft a deed of variation of lease, which details the changes to the lease that have been mutually agreed between the leaseholder and landlord.
There are many reasons why this may be necessary to do; for example, if the current terms do not satisfy a mortgage lender’s conditions.
Buying and selling property at auction
Buying or selling property at a London auction requires two things: a lot of preparation, and for the conveyancing to be handled very quickly. Following an auction, the buyer and seller generally have to complete on the transaction within only 28 days, meaning that every moment lost to conveyancing delays can put you in significant risk of losing out on the sale. If you’re taking a mortgage, it is even more important to work with fast conveyancing solicitors to ensure you have the funds to buy the property prepared in time.
Additionally, once you enter the auction hall you will no longer be able to raise any enquiries with the seller regarding the property. Consequently, it is essential that you have done extensive research into the property first, and had the information pack viewed by an experienced conveyancing solicitor; otherwise, you risk being stuck with a problematic property that you will struggle to sell on.
We can help you avoid pitfalls and meet the deadline for your auction conveyancing matter in plenty of time. Read our blog on Auction Conveyancing to find out everything you need to know about buying or selling at auction.
Why instruct Starck Uberoi’s conveyancing solicitors for my London based conveyancing matter?
Fast conveyancing services
In most conveyancing matters, there are strict deadlines that must be met; for some properties, contracts need to be exchanged in just 28 days. Failing to meet those deadlines could cost you the property or sale which can be devastating.
Our fast conveyancing solicitors have a strategy in place to mitigate the risk of delays and keep the conveyancing moving as quickly as possible. Our utilisation of technology allows for a large proportion of the conveyancing process to be completable from home, and for our solicitors to communicate quickly and easily with clients through email or telephone.
The Starck Uberoi App
With the free Starck Uberoi app, you can keep an eye on your conveyancing matter anytime, anywhere. You can use our app to:
- Receive real-time updates when another step of the process has been completed
- Track your case 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Safely send and receive documents
- Message your solicitor instantly with the in-app messaging function
- View the contact details of all parties involved
- View your full breakdown of fees wherever you are
Find out more about our app by visiting Online Conveyancing Solicitors.
CQS-Accredited Conveyancers
Our conveyancing team have been awarded Law Society Accreditation under the Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS), in recognition of the high-quality services they consistently offer even when dealing with the most complex conveyancing matters. This accreditation is awarded to conveyancers who have proven that they consistently provide a high standard of conveyancing assistance and advice, with a focus on reducing risk for clients.
Integrated Mortgage Advice with Starck Uberoi Wealth
Our partner company Starck Uberoi Wealth can provide specialist independent mortgage advice, whether you’re looking for your first residential mortgage or a commercial property developer. Their mortgages team work under the same roof with our conveyancers to provide a seamless, efficient service for all clients.
Clients of Starck Uberoi Wealth’s mortgage advice service can even get 10% off their conveyancing fees with us!
Lender panels
We are trusted solicitors on the conveyancing panels for the majority of major high-street lenders, including Barclays, Halifax, HSBC, Nationwide, NatWest and Santander. This allows us to act for both the client and lender in conveyancing cases, therefore saving you vital time and expenditure.
Versatile Solicitors
At Starck Uberoi, we offer a client-focused approach dedicated to catering to the needs of every individual client who instructs us. Understanding that many of our clients don’t have the time to come to our office, we have moved towards becoming online conveyancing solicitors and now have technology which allows us to complete secure online passport and ID verification, plus our solicitors primarily operate by email and telephone rather than relying on postal services and in-person meetings.
However, we also understand that any clients feel more comfortable with face-to-face meetings. Our London offices are all situated close to local railway stations, and many of which can also easily be accessed by bus. We can offer a pleasant environment in which to meet, and our solicitors will take the time to answer all of your questions so that you leave feeling confident about the next steps.
Our online conveyancing quote Generator
Of course, cost is a major concern for every client. At Starck Uberoi, we are transparent about our fees and ensure that all clients understand exactly what they’re paying for at instruction, so that there won’t be any unpleasant surprises later on.
Our free online conveyancing quote generator can provide a breakdown of all of our fees for our conveyancing services, including disbursements that may be payable.
Need a conveyancing quote? Our tool allows you to calculate solicitor fees for conveyancing quickly and easily.
What else can Starck Uberoi Solicitors help me with?
We are property specialists, capable of handling an enormous range of very different property matters including:
- Leasehold Conveyancing
- Buy to Let Conveyancing
- Auction Conveyancing
- House in Multiple Occupation Conveyancing
- Lease Extensions
- Property Disputes
- Collective Enfranchisement
- Party Wall Disputes
- Gifting Property to your Children
- transfer of equity
- New Build Conveyancing
- Equity Release
- Splitting Property into Two Titles
- Matrimonial Home Rights
- Proving beneficial interest in a property
- Shared Ownership Property
- Inherited Property
Whatever your conveyancing matter is, our knowledgeable conveyancing solicitors in London can assist you. Our conveyancing team have a wide collective berth of experience of the London property market and will go above and beyond to make the process as quick and as easy as it can possibly be. We have extensive experience and a reputation for handling even the most complex conveyancing transactions with ease.
To book an appointment with us, please call 020 8840 6640 or email solicitor@starckuberoi.co.uk. Our offices are based in Ealing, Brentford, London Belgravia, Richmond and Canterbury, all within easy reach by public transport. Our partner, Raminder Uberoi, can also provide a Notary Public Service at any of our London offices.
